better/best new bike brands from mechanical perspective

Hello,

Burning question of the day:

If one were considering opening a bike shop and were trying to decided which brand(s) to carry, which brands would you say are better/best (or worst) from a mechanical perspective, especially those that have bikes in the entry level range?

Would love to hear from mechanics who work in shops that carry new road, mountain, hybrid, and comfort bikes.

I'm not sure the brand of bike is that important from a mechanical standpoint. Once you get past the real junk level like Huffy, they all use the same parts from the same big four or five suppliers (Shimano, SRAM, FSA, Truvative, etc.) Of course Campy is also excellent but there aren't any low or enty level Campy equipped bikes in this country.

What counts is how well the manufacturer or importer supports the shop.

I'm not sure the brand of bike is that important from a mechanical standpoint. Once you get past the real junk level like Huffy, they all use the same parts from the same big four or five suppliers (Shimano, SRAM, FSA, Truvative, etc.) Of course Campy is also excellent but there aren't any low or enty level Campy equipped bikes in this country.

What counts is how well the manufacturer or importer supports the shop.

+1 When you consider the brand, all it really describes is the quality of the frame, which they may not have made either. So if you are into steel, any of the decent frame materials, plus the component grade of your choice, makes the best bike. And in general, maintenance is all directed at the components and the wheels. So again, get good components and good wheels, and the brand on the frame is almost meaningless.

Now the really cheap brands (go see Walmart) also have cheap components. But every once in a while, a cheap brand will have good components (read the Ross Signature thread we had going in the classic area).